Three legendary drivers, a successful team owner and a mechanical master have earned spots in the NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2020.

Top vote-getter Tony Stewart was joined by former teammate Bobby Labonte and their team owner Joe Gibbs. Heralded speedster Buddy Baker and engine builder Waddell Wilson rounded out the five elections from the 20 nominees.

Edsel Ford II was chosen from five nominees for the Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to stock-car racing.

Stewart, a three-time NASCAR premier series champion, was chosen in his first year of eligibility, garnering 88% of the balloting from the 59-member voting panel. All five nominees were named on at least two-thirds of the ballots cast, with Gibbs (72%), Wilson (72%), Baker (70%) and Labonte (67%) topping the list.

Modified ace Mike Stefanik, mechanic and car builder Ray Fox and West Coast legend Hershel McGriff were the next highest vote-getters.

The voting for the Hall of Fame’s 11th class included one ballot cast by fans on NASCAR.com. The fans’ ballot selected (in alphabetical order): Baker, Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Labonte and Stewart.

The five newest NASCAR Hall of Famers will be officially inducted on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, at the Charlotte Convention Center. Their enshrinement will increase the NASCAR Hall’s list of honorees to 55 members.

For the latest, visit NASCAR.com.

International Speedway Corporation (ISC) announced today that it had entered an agreement for NASCAR to acquire the company in a merger. The transaction is valued at approximately $2 billion.

The ongoing transaction, which is expected to close by the end of the year, is still subject to customary closing conditions.

The merger was unanimously approved by a special committee comprised of independent directors of the Board of Directors of ISC and was later unanimously approved by the full Board.

ISC shareholders will be entitled to receive $45 for each share of ISC stock. Participating shareholders, on the other hand, signed an agreement to have their ISC shares transferred to NASCAR.

Advisors of the transaction include Dean Bradley Osborne Partners LLC, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Baker Botts L.L.P., BDT & Company and Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP.

NASCAR, which operates as a motorsports sanctioning body, is based in Daytona Beach, Florida.

ISC, which currently promotes more than 100 racing events annually, operates 13 major motorsports facilities, including Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Michigan International Speedway, Richmond Raceway in Virginia, Auto Club Speedway of Southern California, Kansas Speedway, ISM Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Watkins Glen International.

For more information, visit the NASCAR website or the International Speedway Corporation (ISC) website.

Pro-Gram Engineering, a provider of billet main caps, has been acquired by Billet Speedworks LLC, an entity formed by longtime Pro-Gram employee Josh Martinez.

Pro-Gram Engineering was founded in 1984 by Ken Anderson and is the manufacturer of American-made billet main caps for thousands of customers and hundreds of applications around the world.

Billet Speedworks will take over all operations of the company including manufacturing, sales and support. Operations will continue at the same Barberton, Ohio-based facility.

Josh Martinez is a 13-year employee of Pro-Gram Engineering and has been the head of manufacturing for the last nine years. Billet Speedworks will remain manufacturing billet main caps in the US, and will also introduce new performance products in the future.

For more information, visit billetspeedworks.com or contact info@billetspeedworks.com.

Watkins Glen International announced it has partnered with STAR Headlight and Lantern Co., Inc. to improve its trackside caution light system and enhance safety at the historic road course.

The STAR DLQS Quick Stick Series LED systems have already made their debut at The Glen for a number of track rental days, and will be in place for each of the track’s major spectator race weekends, including the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen (June 27-30) and Go Bowling at The Glen (August 2-4) events.

“We have enjoyed a stellar partnership with STAR Headlight and Lantern Co., Inc. for a number of years, and are very pleased with the outcome of this modernization project to better serve our teams and drivers,” said Watkins Glen International President Michael Printup. “We are always looking for ways to make our facility safer, and this state-of-the-art system adds another layer to that initiative.”

The Glen also uses STAR Headlight and Lantern Co. products on each of its pace cars and security vehicles throughout the season. The New York-based company was founded in 1889 and has maintained production in Rochester, with its current headquarters and manufacturing center in Avon, N.Y. STAR offers LED beacons, auxiliary LED warning lights, as well as light bars, lanterns, switch controllers, sirens, back-up alarms, mounting brackets, and more.

For more information, visit the Watkins Glen International website.

Three-time Formula 1 world champion Niki Lauda has passed away, aged 70.

The Austrian, who had a lung transplant last August, won the F1 drivers’ championship in 1975 and 1977 with Ferrari, and again in 1984 with McLaren.

In 1976 he staged one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history when, just six weeks after being badly injured in a fiery crash in Germany, he triumphantly returned to action, only narrowly missing out on that year's drivers' crown.

Following his racing career, Lauda returned to F1 in management roles, first with Ferrari, then with Jaguar and most recently with Mercedes, where he held the role of non-executive chairman as the Silver Arrows re-wrote the F1 record books.

"With deep sadness, we announce that our beloved Niki has peacefully passed away with his family on Monday," his family said in a statement.

"His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain a role model and a benchmark for all of us.”

Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1, paid tribute to the legendary Austrian, saying: “It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Niki Lauda. Formula 1 has lost not only one of the truly great exponents of the sport but also one of its heroes.

"His love of racing and the courage he demonstrated were simply extraordinary and he inspired so many fans. His passing is a great loss for the entire Formula 1 family and motorsport as a whole. All our thoughts go out to his family.”

FIA President Jean Todt said: “Niki Lauda was a hero of motorsport, who inspired me in my youth. He is a milestone in the history of Formula 1. All my thoughts go out to his family, friends and to Mercedes.”

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who stood alongside Lauda through so many triumphs, paid tribute to a colleague and friend:

"First of all, on behalf of the team and all at Mercedes, I wish to send our deepest condolences to Birgit, Niki's children, his family and close friends.

"Niki will always remain one of the greatest legends of our sport - he combined heroism, humanity and honesty inside and outside the cockpit.

"His passing leaves a void in Formula One. We haven't just lost a hero who staged the most remarkable comeback ever seen, but also a man who brought precious clarity and candor to modern Formula One. He will be greatly missed as our voice of common sense.

"Our Mercedes team has also lost a guiding light. As a team-mate over the past six and a half years, Niki was always brutally honest - and utterly loyal. It was a privilege to count him among our team and moving to witness just how much it meant to him to be part of the team's success. Whenever he walked the floor in Brackley and Brixworth, or delivered one of his famous motivational speeches, he brought an energy that nobody else could replicate.

"Niki, you are quite simple irreplaceable, there will never be another like you.

"It was our honor to call you our Chairman - and my privilege to call you my friend."

Photo courtesy of F1

Ralph Sheheen, president and co-founder of SPEED SPORT, will share his passion for and knowledge of motorsports as the new host of the Grand Opening Breakfast at the 2019 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show. The Breakfast takes place Thursday morning, December 12, immediately before the PRI Show opens its doors for the Three Biggest Business Days in Racing, December 12-14 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

"We are thrilled to welcome to the 2019 PRI Show one of the greatest voices in broadcasting and a guy that shares the passion and love of motorsports," said Bill Miller, PRI General Manager. "From Outlaws and trucks to Cup and motorcycles, Sheheen covers anything and everything that competes on the track."

The Grand Opening Breakfast kicks off the PRI Show and is deeply rooted in the 30-plus-year show. Open exclusively to PRI Show attendees (not the general public) free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, the Breakfast features motorsports legends sharing personal stories and experiences in an intimate setting surrounded by industry professionals enjoying a hot breakfast.

This year's Breakfast will be held in the Indiana Convention Center’s Sagamore Ballroom beginning at 8 a.m. Sheheen is taking over the reins as emcee of the event from veteran journalist Dave Despain, who hosted the Breakfast for the past 10 years before retiring this winter.

"It gives us great pleasure to have Ralph Sheheen carry on the wonderful tradition of hosting motorsports’ finest on PRI's Grand Opening Breakfast stage," said Miller. "He believes so much in the grassroots racer and track operators. If he’s not on the air, he’s at some track hanging in the garage, chatting it up with the racing community."

“I’m thrilled to host this year’s Grand Opening Breakfast and to be a part of the PRI tradition,” said Sheheen. “The most legendary names in racing have graced the stage before the start of the PRI Show, and to now be a part of that is amazing!”

This year’s PRI Trade Show will feature over 1,100 companies exhibiting in more than 3,300 booths and showcasing the latest products, services, machinery, simulation and testing technologies, and trailers for the racing industry in a single location. Now in its 32nd year, PRI encompasses all forms of racing and attracts attendees from all 50 states and over 70 countries.

Numerous conferences and seminars, among them the Race Track Business Conference and International Council of Motorsport Sciences’ Annual Congress, offer unlimited business opportunities and provide invaluable insight on the latest technologies and how to apply them throughout the racing world. Furthermore, special features like Machinery Row make PRI the ideal event for motorsports pros to connect and discover what’s trending ahead of the new racing season.
 
Known as Race Industry Week, the days leading up to and including the Show will offer a range of motorsports-related activities in and around the Indiana Convention Center beginning on Monday, December 9.
 
To register for the 2019 PRI Trade Show, secure hotel reservations, and sign up for free business seminars, log on to prishow.com.

The Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame Class of 2019 inductees have been announced by the track’s Hall of Fame Committee. Those being inducted at the ceremonies set to be held on June 22, 2019, will be Perry Bell, Doug Brown, Jake Peters and Gary “Wally” Price.

This year marks the 41st class of inductees. The Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame was established in 1979 and currently holds 199 inductees. The annual induction banquet will be held in Dyer-Hudson Hall for all current Hall of Fame members and guests. A picnic style lunch will be served for $5 per guest.

Perry Bell (Media) Knoxville, Iowa:
Bell began his career as a writer in 1981 for the Knoxville Journal-Express. On top of his dedication to covering sports for local schools, he has spent 38 years covering events at Knoxville Raceway. Bell also operated the Dirt Digest Paper from 1986-1992.

James “Doug” Brown (Supplier/Owner) Des Moines, Iowa:
Brown, a sprint car owner, supplied the car that drove Dennis Moore Jr. to victory during the 360 Knoxville Nationals in 2003. Brown started Jocko’s Auto Parts (now known as Jocko’s Sprint Parts) in the early 1980s. The Jocko’s sprint parts trailer can still be found in the Knoxville infield today.

Jake Peters (Driver) Sioux Falls, SD:
Peters had a successful driving career winning three 360 Championships (2004, 2005, 2006) at Knoxville along with ten 360 feature wins. He also won multiple track championships at Huset’s Speedway. Peters holds over 100 sprint car wins over 20 years of competing in seven different states.

Gary “Wally” Price (Track Official) Newton, Iowa:
Starting as a race fan in the grandstands in the early 1970s, Price was asked one night in 1978 to drive a pace vehicle. That first night he drove his own 1972 Chevelle and has since been behind the wheel of the Knoxville Raceway pace vehicle for 42 seasons. Price also helps with numerous track duties on race day.

To order tickets, call the Knoxville Raceway ticket office at 641/842-5431.

For more information, visit the Knoxville Raceway website.

Veteran Falken sales executive Bob Klimm has been promoted to Director of Sales, Commercial Division, effectively immediately.
 
Klimm moves from TBR Division Manager into the Director role for the North American Market where he will lead the company’s commercial tire growth.
 
The Dallas, TX-native was responsible for establishing Falken’s entry into the truck and bus radial (TBR) business. Led by Klimm, Falken’s commitment to the commercial segment has significantly expanded the tire company’s sales efforts and allowed it to reach new customers and gain market share.
 
“Bob has played an incredibly important role in Falken’s TBR Channel and Product strategy, and his dedication to our product and serving our many customers make this appointment an easy one,” said Darren Thomas, Falken’s Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “We’re all very pleased to have Bob on board and know that he and his colleagues will continue to expand this very important part of Falken’s overall business.”

For more information, visit the Falken Tire website.

Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. has added H&R Special Springs to its suspension category.
 
The company’s product line includes springs, coil-overs, Cup Kits, sway bars, wheel spacers, adapters and more including camber adjustment bolts and stud conversions.

H&R Special Springs products are crafted in Germany and tested and researched in Bellingham, Washington.

H&R Special Springs founders Werner Heine and Heinz Remmen started the company in the 1970s and later obtained an approval certificate from the German safety regulating body the Technischer Überwachungsverein (TÜV).

For more on H&R Special Springs and its product lineup, visit its website here. For more on Keystone Automotive, visit here.

McLaren has dismissed the team’s IndyCar boss after Fernando Alonso failed to qualify for the 103rd Indianapolis 500.

Robert Fernley, who previously worked as the deputy team principal of the Force India Formula One team, was named as the president of McLaren’s IndyCar program late last year.

His contract reportedly only ran through the 2019 Indianapolis 500 and with the team failing to qualify on Sunday, Fernley has been dismissed from the team according to reports from the Associated Press and Autosport.com.

Alonso and McLaren struggled from the moment the team arrived at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to begin preparing for the Indianapolis 500. Alonso crashed his primary car during practice last week, forcing the team to an unprepared backup car.

The team struggled to get the backup car up to speed, ultimately failing to qualify during Saturday’s first day of qualifications. That forced to the team to attempt one last qualifying run during the Last Row Shootout Sunday, but Alonso was bumped by Kyle Kaiser and Juncos Racing in the last run of the day.

For more information, visit the IndyCar website.